


A Fantastic(?) Beast

by pirate123456789



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Animals, Gen, Herbology, Magizoology (Harry Potter), Mystery, Nature, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pirate123456789/pseuds/pirate123456789
Summary: In Harry Potter's third year, Hogwarts had quite the host of less-than-welcome guests, between the Dementors, accused murderers, and actual murderers. Now, there's another creature added to the mix, and it's a little... odd. The greenhouses are being ransacked, and Dumbledore enlists the help of Herbology prodigy Neville Longbottom and Magizoology expert Luna Lovegood to find out what exactly is trying to eat Professor Sprout's plants. The pair assume it's the work of an elusive, quasi-mythical creature, but the truth is even stranger, and the true identity of the culprit is revealed to them by none other than Colin Creevey.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Even though I carefully read a lot of Harry Potter wiki pages and consulted PoA itself to get everything as canonically accurate as possible, somehow it didn't occur to me to actually look up a map of Hogwarts until I was way too far in to rewrite stuff. So this is technically an AU where the greenhouses have a different location and layout to where they are in the books/movies. Otherwise, I did my best to keep it plausibly within the storyline of Prisoner of Azkaban. In case it wasn't obvious, this is my first-ever fic, so pardon it being a little rough around the edges. Enjoy!

*CLONK*

“Ah good, Errol’s in with the post!” Arthur exclaimed cheerfully, standing from the dining table. “I ordered another set of Muggle magazines and newspapers and I can’t wait to look through them!” He opened the door and bent down to pick up the wizened owl, who was lying with his wings splayed out to either side on the doorstep, having missed the window and hit the door at full speed. Beside his talons lay a bundle of rolled-up papers tied with string. Arthur carried Errol and his cargo into the Burrow and set him in his cage to recover. He set the bundle of papers on the table and sat down, starting to wolf down the remains of his breakfast as fast as possible.

“Arthur, what could you possibly want with these?” Molly asked, untying the string and taking the topmost magazine. “This is a gardening catalog which is-” she squinted at the top of the cover page “-almost five years out of date.”

“But it’s absolutely fascinating, dear!!” Arthur said excitedly through a mouthful of toast. “They make hollowed-out rocks to put on top of things in the garden that they don’t want the neighbors seeing! For the life of me, I cannot figure out why, but every edition I’ve found of this magazine has them, so they must sell like hotcakes!”

“Surely they could just put things indoors if they want them out of sight,” Molly replied. “Oh Arthur, do slow down, you’re going to choke on your breakfast. The magazines aren’t going anywhere,” she continued fondly.

It was really quite enjoyable to hear Arthur’s excited rants about Muggle technology, and she often took inspiration from them, which led to equally excited rants (that Arthur also thoroughly enjoyed) about how she used the things Arthur took home. Once, Arthur had managed to procure small handheld horns that children would use to pester each other. They had been confiscated when a small group of such children had stumbled across a Portkey and had to be Obliviated and sent home. Press a button on the top of the can and it honked loudly enough to be heard for a quarter mile! Arthur dismantled one (or rather, started to. It blew up in his hand when he removed the lid) to find out how it worked and Molly charmed the rest so they would never run out of air. She’d been using them to scare gnomes out of the garden ever since.

“Hah, look at this!” Arthur said. He began to read from a newspaper. “Jee-netics Laboratory Loses Prized Subject: Officials from the Royal Institution of London have admitted that a wild animal escaped from one of their research laboratories three days ago and has disappeared. They suspect it escaped to the countryside, but no one has reported seeing it since. They have refused to disclose exactly what it is, claiming that is ‘highly sensitive information’ but urge anyone who sees any unusual animal activity to come forward”

“Sounds like the Muggles have their own ‘Sirius Black’ to deal with!” Arthur chuckled.


	2. Chapter 1

Neville ate breakfast quietly at the Gryffindor table. He had been trying not to draw attention to himself since Sirius Black had gotten into the Gryffindor Tower with his passwords. None of the other Gryffindors would speak to him, least of all Ron, but at this point he was just thankful that the whole school didn’t know. And, he realized, the fact that the whole school didn’t know meant that the people in his house were decent enough not to gossip (at least, not about him), even if they were giving him the cold shoulder.

Then the owls arrived. Neville knew McGonagall had informed his grandmother of the Incident, and had been dreading getting an owl ever since. Yesterday there had been nothing, and he thought if three days went by he would be safe. But then he saw an owl heading straight for him, and its talons held a bright red envelope. Neville’s heart sank through the floor. The red envelope dropped onto his plate with what sounded like a louder *thud* than was reasonable. Dean, Seamus, and Harry, who were sitting closest to him, looked down at it, then up at Neville.

“Serves you bloody right,” he heard Ron mutter from down the table.

“Get it over with, Neville.” Seamus said flatly, “Everyone else was going to find out eventually.”

Neville picked up the envelope like it was a rotting carcass, which it might as well have been for how sick he was suddenly feeling. By now the other tables had spotted the Howler, and everyone had gone quiet in anticipation for the show. He turned the envelope over, and his dread turned to confusion. The flap of the envelope was tucked inside it, as if it had already been opened. He opened it, still fearful, but no sound came out. There was just a small slip of paper with a short handwritten note:

_Come to my office this evening after supper. Behind the gargoyle on the third floor. The password is ‘Jelly Slugs.’_

_-Albus Dumbledore_

Disappointed, the rest of the Great Hall resumed their mealtime chatter. Harry peered down at the note, then his eyes widened. “Wow, Neville, I knew McGonagall was cross but I didn’t think she’d have Dumbledore tell you off. Good luck.” Neville didn’t know what to think. He slipped the note into his pocket and continued eating in silence, lost in a mix of bewilderment and fear about what the Headmaster would say.

* * *

Neville couldn’t concentrate in his classes all day, being too preoccupied with meeting Dumbledore. He had tried to gauge Dumbledore’s mood at lunch, but he had always been in conversation with the other professors, and had not acknowledged him or the note at all. After supper, the time had finally come, and Neville left the Great Hall with the same dread he’d felt at seeing the Howler that morning. After two wrong turns and a jeering from Peeves, he was standing in front of the third-floor gargoyle.

“Er-…. Jelly Slugs?” Neville said, unsure of what he was meant to do.

With a low grinding sound of stone on stone, the gargoyle stepped aside and revealed a staircase. Neville stepped onto it, and it began to spiral up into the Headmaster’s Tower. 

Feeling dizzy, Neville stumbled off the staircase into the Headmaster’s office and looked around. It was cluttered with knick-knacks, books, and paintings in every direction. Dumbledore was at his desk, speaking to a girl with messy dirty-blonde hair and a wand behind her ear. She turned to look at him and Dumbledore paused and looked up. “Ah, welcome Mr. Longbottom, do come sit down,” Dumbledore said warmly. Neville was startled, having expected more along the lines of disappointment or anger. He now recognized the girl sitting in front of the desk as Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw, though he had mostly heard people call her ‘Loony.’ He walked over to Dumbledore’s desk and sat down.

“Your grandmother has quite the voice; she startled Fawkes so badly he singed the wall,” Dumbledore said, pointing to a blackened spot on the wall behind a vacant bird perch.

“So it _was_ a Howler?”

“Quite, but I thought you had likely learned your lesson well enough already, and I needed to speak with you. I was just starting to tell Miss Lovegood here about my predicament,” the Headmaster continued.

“Sorry, I got turned around,” Neville replied quietly

Dumbledore chuckled. “I expected so, do not worry about it,” he said kindly. “There is one more guest missing before we can really begin.”

As if on cue, the staircase rose up to the landing again, and Hagrid bustled out into the office. “Sorry, Dumbledore,” he said, “got caught up with feedin’ Fluffy an-” He looked down at the two students and smiled. “Ahh, ‘ello Lovegood, ‘ello Longbottom, nice to see you two.”

“Hello, Hagrid,” Luna said cheerfully, smiling back at him.

“I believe they can help us with the little problem you brought to my attention,” Dumbledore began. Hagrid pulled up a much larger chair than the other two and sat down.

“It seems that dementors and Sirius Black are not the only ones who have decided to plague my school this year,” Dumbledore continued. “Both Hagrid and Professor Sprout have come to me with their own concerns, of a somewhat different and, hopefully, less sinister nature. Hagrid, would you care to tell them what you told me?”

“O’course, Headmaster. ‘Bout a week ago Professor Sprout came to me all in a huff ‘bout how the plants ‘round her greenhouses were gettin’ chewed up and asked what else was I breedin’ ‘ere that was eatin’ em. I told ‘er I don’t let any of me animals near the greenhouses ‘cause of all the nastier plants in ‘em, so it was probably a wild one wandering about. I kept an eye out on me walks with Fang an’ all but didn’t see nothin’ out ‘er the ordinary. Then, few days ago ‘alf me squash were eaten, practically shredded to bits. I know I got nothin’ what eats squash like that, and unless Black’s got a particular likin’ of them I can’t for the life o’me think what would woulda donnit, so I came to you.”

“Thank you, Hagrid. I spoke to Professor Sprout on the matter myself and she is growing quite frantic. Though none of the plants in the greenhouses have been damaged, she feels, and I agree, that it is only a matter of time, and that with all the other problems this year it would be best dealt with quickly.”

Neville spoke up again. “But what’s this got to do with us?”

“Ah, Mr. Longbottom, I am getting to that. Professor Sprout tells me that you are quite adept in her classes, are you not?”

Neville was taken aback. He didn’t think Dumbledore would pay attention to that sort of thing.

“Don’t be so surprised,” Dumbledore smiled, “Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasely are not the only ones who attend this school. I take care to know the interests of all my students. That is why I also asked Miss Lovegood here,” he looked over to her. “For her knowledge of more unusual and sensational creatures that most might dismiss. I am requesting that the two of you determine what exactly what we are dealing with and whether we can reason with, tame, capture, or drive off the creature to ensure the safety of students on Hogwarts grounds. Miss Lovegood, do you have any thoughts on what it might be?”

“It could be a Nargle,” Luna said matter-of-factly. “They love to cause trouble, so it might be stealing the plants and making it look like they’ve been eaten. Is there any mistletoe left from Christmas? They infest mistletoe so we might catch it by laying some out to trap it.” 

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and considered this. “Hagrid, what do you do with the mistletoe decorations after Christmas?”

“Well, I usually throw ‘em by a tree at the edge o’ the forest. It grows back quick enough so I can use it fer the next year’s decorations.”

“How much mistletoe would you expect to need, Miss Lovegood?”

“Oh, not much, I expect there’s usually a few Nargles in the decorations every year.”

“Very well, Hagrid will take you to collect some in the morning. Mr. Longbottom, do you have something to add?”

Neville was suddenly conscious that he had been furrowing his brow more and more in disbelief. “But sir, Nargles aren’t real, they’re just stories to scare children; my gran would tell me they were going to take me away whenever she was cross.”

“That’s what most people think; they’re clever enough to fool people into thinking they’re not real, so no one will look for them. My father did a whole article on it once,” Luna said proudly.

“It is wise not to underestimate children’s stories, Neville,” Dumbledore added, “I have often found them to be most illuminating.”

Neville decided not to press the issue. “But sir,” he said to Dumbledore, “why did you call me?”

“Like I said, I know you have an affinity for Herbology, and as this creature seems to be focused on our plant life, I thought you would be an asset to our little investigation here.”

“But surely Professor Sprout knows more than I do.”

“She is quite busy with her other duties, and I would rather not have some other student stumbling into this without knowing what they’re getting into. Besides, as much as I would like Miss Lovegood to be correct, it seems odd that such an elusive creature would suddenly become careless, so I fear that there is more to this than one Nargle. Even so, attempting to catch it seems like the place to start, so I leave it in your hands. Now, both of you should be getting to bed. If you need anything else for your trap, send an owl tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night, Headmaster, good night Hagrid,” Neville and Luna replied. They left together down the spiral staircase. Luna seemed lost in thought, and Neville didn’t know what to say. When they arrived at the bottom, she spoke.

“We’re going have to sneak out at night and stay hidden to watch the trap. I can to charm the mistletoe to keep hold of the Nargle, but the only way to trap it for sure is to stuff the mistletoe into a burlap sack. Nargles can only be permanently contained by burlap. I’ll set it up by the greenhouses with Hagrid tomorrow. We’ll have to take turns watching it all night after lights-out. Can you get out of Gryffindor Tower without anyone noticing?”

Neville took a moment to process this. “Um, yeah I think so. Er- I think Sprout’s got some burlap bags, I’ll ask her after Herbology if I can have one. I reckon you should put it between Greenhouses Three and Four. Three has a little shed behind it where we can take turns sleeping.”

“Perfect, thank you Neville, till tomorrow then!” Luna said, and turned and set off towards the Ravenclaw common room. Neville, still hesitant and not quite convinced he wasn’t having a very odd dream, left Dumbledore’s guardian gargoyle and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.


	3. Chapter 2

When Neville arrived at the greenhouses, out of breath and practically wheezing, Luna was already there sitting by the shed next to Greenhouse Three. She was idly leafing through a magazine that he didn’t recognize, then looked up at him. He was startled by the enormous pair of pink glasses with lenses that looked like rainbow-colored whirlpools.

“Oh, hello Neville, did you bring the bag?” she asked, taking off the glasses.

Neville blinked and then remembered what she was talking about. “Oh yeah, here,” he said, pulling the rolled-up burlap sack out of his pocket. “Apparently Dumbledore told Sprout what we were doing, so all she said was ‘Don’t let Filch find you.’ She seems more worried about the plants than the students.”

“Oh I would be too,” Luna replied matter-of-factly, “Nargles won’t attack wizards, but they’ll do anything to cause trouble, and most magical plants can’t sense them.”

“Wonderful.” Somehow Neville did not find this information reassuring. He sat down next to Luna, then looked down at her magazine. The cover was so covered with text splashes everywhere it took a moment to find the title: _The Quibbler._

“My father’s the editor,” Luna said proudly, “Every edition has a segment on some magical creature that hasn’t been seen in centuries. This week’s is the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, but I’m re-reading this one from last month which was Nargles.”

She seemed so excited about it, Neville decided not to mention that everyone he knew laughed off the _The_ _Quibbler_ as complete rubbish, and instead looked over at the trap Luna had set up. A big pile of mistletoe was up against the side of Greenhouse Four, less than thirty feet from the shed they were leaning against. Branches of it were fanned out in circular pattern around a central mound, making it look like an ornate throne of leaves and the occasional berry.

“The Nargle will try to get into the little mound, which has a binding charm to hold it still for a few seconds, and when it does whoever’s watching throws the bag over it, picks up the mound with the bag and ties it up,” Luna continued.

“How do we know if it’s tried to get in?”

“The mistletoe will have a red glow around it when the charm’s activated, and with the Nargle thrashing about inside we’ll be able to hear it.” Luna put her glasses back on turned her magazine upside down to continue reading, so Neville decided to just accept what was happening with no further questions. He’d brought a quill and parchment to write an essay for Lupin to pass the time, hoping Luna’s Nargle wouldn’t be too hasty in showing up so he could finish before tomorrow.

* * *

About an hour past midnight, Neville was on watch and Luna was asleep. He hadn’t heard anything besides a gentle breeze whistling through the treetops in the Forbidden Forest. He had decided to quietly practice transfiguring a leaf into a feather, but all he’d managed was to turn the leaf a little bit blue. Then he heard footsteps. He looked over at the trap, only then realizing he didn’t even know what a Nargle was supposed to look like, but he saw no movement. The sound was coming from the direction of castle and getting closer. He peeked out around the shed and saw the figure of a person walking towards the greenhouses. In the darkness he couldn’t see who it was, but just then he began to hear the figure muttering angrily to himself.

“Blasted poltergeists, if I had my way…” It was Snape’s voice. Neville was paralyzed with fear, listening intently to determine where Snape was going. He went past the gap between greenhouses where Neville was hiding and yanked open the door of Greenhouse One. He could hear the rustling of leaves and the occasional scrape of plant pot on a table as Snape searched about inside, occasionally continuing to mutter out loud.

“One, two, three, perhaps four leaves…. Ahh yes here we are…. And perhaps a sprig of bitterroot for flavor. I do _apologize_ , Remus….” Even without seeing him, Neville could hear the sneer in Snape’s voice. He stood slowly so he could see where Snape would leave to, but as he shifted his weight he heard a twig snap under his feet. Again, he froze like he’d been Petrified. Unfortunately, so did Snape.

There was no sound for a full ten seconds, and then Neville heard the greenhouse door squeak as it opened. Luna hadn’t made a noise, and there was no time to wake her. Neville scurried around the shed and to the other side of Greenhouse Four. Snape must have heard his footsteps, because he could hear him coming nearer. He inched along Greenhouse Four, hoping to go around back to the path to the castle, where he could hide in a corridor.

“I have had quite enough of your evening jaunts, Potter,” Snape spat angrily. Neville had made it to the end of Greenhouse Four and dashed across to Greenhouse Five, beside which was a pile of bricks for barricading creeping plant roots inside the greenhouses. Without thinking, Neville clambered up onto the pile and then onto the roof of Greenhouse Five, just as Snape appeared at the end of Greenhouse Four and looked around.

Neville held his breath, pleading silently that Snape not look up. There was no time for him to scoot across the roof to the other end of the greenhouse out of sight. Then, there was a metallic clang from Greenhouse One, at the other end of the two rows. “ _Lumos!_ ” Snape exclaimed, rushing in the direction of the sound. The tip of his wand was blinding to Neville. He saw the light move away from Greenhouse One, then slowly between the two rows, going back and forth as Snape looked between each one. He hoped Luna wouldn’t wake up from the noise and come out. When he had searched around all the greenhouses, Snape snarled in frustration and extinguished his wand.

“If I find that you three delinquents have been here I shall see to it personally that you get detention with me for the rest of the school year,” Snape said loud enough to be heard by anyone in the general vicinity of the greenhouses. Then he marched away back towards the castle.

When he thought Snape was out of earshot, Neville, who realized he hadn’t breathed for a long time, gasped and lay on top of Greenhouse Five, still unable to move. He turned over on his back and panted for several minutes, recovering from the near miss. Just as he was calming down he realized he could hear a rustling noise, this time coming from Greenhouse Four. He turned over again and pushed himself up to look for the source of the noise, and then a lot of things happened at once.

There was a red glow from the area where the trap was, immediately followed by a flash of white light from behind him, illuminating the trap. Neville covered his eyes from the blinding light with his arm, and then heard an inhuman screech of fear, followed by loud thumping footsteps that receded towards the Forbidden Forest. By the time he could see again, the source of the commotion had vanished.

As Neville clambered down from his perch on the greenhouse, he heard a half-whispered call. “Neville!” Luna said, having been woken by the noise. “Over here!” Neville called back. He reached the gap in the greenhouses where the trap had been set up, where Luna was crouched down inspecting the mistletoe. What was left of the carefully laid out throne was scattered along the greenhouse wall; most of the branches were broken as if they’d been chewed off. There was also clearly less mistletoe than they’d started with.

“Not a Nargle?” Neville said, already guessing the answer.

Luna picked up a bitten twig considered it. “Not a Nargle….” she said thoughtfully.


	4. Chapter 3

Neville stumbled off the spiral staircase into Dumbledore’s office again and leaned against the wall for balance. He saw his reflection in a mirror and noticed his robe still had white feathers stuck to it. He hastily brushed them off and walked over to the Headmaster’s desk, where Dumbledore and Luna were already seated.

“Apologies for the inelegant messenger owl, Mr. Longbottom. Frederick is eager, but still young and somewhat clumsy,” Dumbledore said, obviously stifling a chuckle.

“You shouldn’t brush them off, Neville,” Luna chimed in, “They protect you from Sneezebugs.”

“I think I’ll be alright,” Neville muttered as he sat in front of the desk.

Dumbledore leaned forward and looked at each of them. “So, what was the result last night’s adventure?”

“It ate the mistletoe,” Luna said, “And it was big. Nargles aren’t big enough to make that much noise.”

“Hmm… Did either of get a look at it?”

“Almost,” Luna said, “I woke up when I heard Snape lighting his wand, and shortly after he left I heard something near the trap. Just as I was about to see it there was a bright light that scared it off.”

“And Mr. Longbottom?”

“I was on top of one of the greenhouses, I saw the flash too but it was so bright I covered my eyes and missed it.”

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “On top of a greenhouse?”

“I had to get away from Snape. He was getting things from the greenhouses and heard me, so he started looking around and I had to think fast. What was he doing at the greenhouses then anyway?”

Dumbledore looked apologetic. “An unrelated errand for me, though I assure you, if I’d known Professor Snape was going last night I would have warned you. It was an unfortunate coincidence.” He looked back to Luna. “Any other ideas what it might be, Miss Lovegood?”

“Oh, there’s lots of things it could be, but I think we should see it before trying to find out what it is,” Luna said, “Seeing it would narrow it down a lot.”

“Agreed,” Dumbledore replied, “You know how to attract it now; do you want to set more bait?”

“Actually, I was thinking we could use a Time Turner.”

For the first time either of them had seen, Dumbledore looked genuinely surprised.

“I know Hermione Granger already has one,” Luna continued, “I once passed her running into a class on the third floor, then saw her go into a different class on the opposite end of the fifth floor a few minutes later.”

“Ron did mention her schedule looked impossible,” Neville said.

Dumbledore sighed, “I suppose I should have expected someone would notice. Yes, Miss Granger has been using a Time Turner to maintain a heavier workload than usual, but only with very special dispensation from the Ministry. I doubt they would allow another one on Hogwarts grounds, let alone be used by students. They’re very cautious with manipulating time, so the rules are extremely strict.”

Both Luna and Neville gave Dumbledore an expectant look.

“That being said,” he continued hesitantly, “I have come into possession of one that the Ministry is… unaware of. But every use of it risks that its existence is discovered, and the consequences for all of us would be quite dire indeed.”

Luna leaned back with a satisfied look. “You know we’ll be careful. We know exactly when the creature appeared, so this way we don’t have to set bait and just hope it shows up. We can be prepared and get a photograph and everything.”

Dumbledore paused for a moment, then sighed. “You are right of course; it is our best chance. But I cannot stress enough how imperative it is that you keep this an absolute secret. Even Professor McGonagall does not know I have this.” He reached under his desk and there was the click of a latch. He pulled a hidden drawer out and produced a small black bag, out of which he pulled a golden necklace with an hourglass hanging from it. Neville stared in awe. He had heard of Time Turners, but they were so valuable and carefully controlled he never thought he’d see one in person.

Dumbledore looked back at the drawer quizzically, then sighed again and pulled out a small slip of paper and put it on his desk. He handed the Time Turner to Luna, “I suggest you return to yesterday evening just after lights-out, eight spins should suffice. How do you intend to get a photograph?”

“Colin Creevey has a camera. I’ll ask him if we can use it,” Neville said.

“We should go back from somewhere outside the castle, so we don’t have to sneak around past Filch,” said Luna, “I was thinking by the covered bridge that goes to Hagrid’s hut and the greenhouses.”

“When you have finished, return directly to this office. You may go to the other room to sleep the rest of the night.” He indicated a door leading into a side chamber. “I don’t want to risk this device being out and about any more than I already am. You will remain there until the moment today that you leave, at which point you will return to your classes. Is that clear?”

Luna nodded, “Quite clear, sir, thank you.”

“Oh, and put this in the drawer with the Time Turner when you return. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding the latch,” he said, handing Luna the slip of paper. It simply said “1:37” in faded ink. Luna took the paper without looking at it and pocketed it. “Thank you, sir. I suppose you’ll be seeing us shortly,” she said, smiling, and turned to leave the Headmaster’s office.

Confused, Neville opened his mouth to ask what had just happened, but Luna had already turned to leave the Headmaster’s office. He thought better of it and simply turned to follow her.

“Good luck, you two!” Dumbledore called after them. He sat down at his desk and spoke to the empty room. “Miss Lovegood, Mr. Longbottom, you may come out now.”

The door of the side chamber opened. Luna and Neville stepped out, their robes covered with grass-stains. “Here you are, sir,” Luna said, handing over the Time Turner.

“Thank you, Miss Lovegood,” Dumbledore said with relief as he put the necklace back in its pouch and returned it to the hidden drawer. “Now, did you get the photograph?”


	5. Chapter 4

As soon as the spiral staircase ground to a halt in the gargoyle’s nook, Neville spoke up. “What do you mean he would see us shortly?”

“We were already in the other room in his office. He probably called us out as soon as we left. We’ll be showing him the photo we got by now.”

Neville looked baffled, then groaned and put his head in his hands. “And Hermione does this every day…”

Luna smiled at him. “Probably best not to think about it. Once it happens for us it will make sense. Do you know where Colin is?”

“He’s probably in the Common Room, he doesn’t have classes this late,” Neville replied.

“Go get the camera from him, the meet me at the covered walkway towards Hagrid’s hut. And bring whatever food you can find. We’re going to be out all night and we were already at supper last night, so we can’t sneak in to get food there. I’m going to my room to see what I can find.”

“Hope you like Chocolate Frogs,” Neville said with a grin. They separated and raced back to their Common Rooms.

* * *

Neville barged into the Common Room, ignoring the Fat Lady’s scolding remarks on how rude children were these days as he went by. Colin Creevey was curled up in one of the armchairs near the fireplace half-heartedly working on a Potions essay. He looked up as Neville approached.

“Hey Colin, can you do me a big favor?”

Colin eagerly threw the essay aside. “What is it?”

“I need to borrow your camera.”

He deflated a little and picked the long piece of parchment back up. “I suppose. What for?”

Neville could tell he’d been hoping for a better distraction. He got closer and spoke in a hushed voice, “Top secret mission for Dumbledore. I need to photograph a very rare creature, and you’re the only one I know with a camera.”

Colin perked up with keen interest at this. “Top secret mission!? For Dumbledore! What is it? Who else knows about it? Can I-?”

Neville interrupted, “It’s just me and Luna Lovegood, and Dumbledore wants to keep it that way.” He hesitated a moment, then continued, “But I promise I’ll show you what we get once the mission is over, and I’ll tell you everything about it.”

Colin thought a moment, then said “Alright, but you owe me a favor.”

“Deal,” Neville replied.

It took less than a minute for Colin to come back from the boys’ dormitory. “The flash bulb burned out, so you’ll need to light up whatever it is yourself,” Colin said. Neville took the camera and held it gingerly. “Thank you so much,” he said, “And I promise I’ll tell Dumbledore you helped us.” Neville ran up to his own dormitory, leaving Colin feeling a mix of pride and curiosity.

* * *

Neville and Luna arrived hurriedly at the entrance of the bridge at almost exactly the same moment, each carrying a bag loaded with supplies.

“Camera?” Luna asked, somewhat out of breath.

“Yeah.” Neville panted back. “And snacks…Frogs…Pumpkin Pasties…the lot.”

“Good. I have sweet rolls…and some thick cloaks…might be cold.” Luna replied.

They waited a moment to recover from their respective hurried errands about the castle, then Luna spoke again.

“Right, Dumbledore said eight spins. Do you have the time?”

Neville pulled out his pocket watch, “One thirty-seven.”

Luna pulled out her wand and the scrap of parchment Dumbledore had handed her. She muttered a spell, and “1:37” appeared on the parchment in bold writing.

“Hold on…” Neville said, having a moment of realization.

“Told you it would make sense when it happened,” Luna said, almost laughing. She pulled the time turner out of a pocket in her robe. “Right, come here, this has to go round both our necks.” They huddled so the chain would reach around them. “One, two, three…” Luna counted the spins of the small hourglass in a whisper. Neville saw the world around them blur and grow dark. Luna stopped counting and the everything was still again, but it was clearly late at night. Luna lifted the necklace off of them and put it back in her robe.

“Snape showed up just before the creature, right?” Luna asked

“Yeah, by maybe 10 minutes.”

“We should wait until after he passes by, then follow him down and get in place to get the picture. After he leaves, we know to look out for it.”

The covered walkway ended, turning into the dirt path down the slope of the hill on which Hogwarts sat, winding past the greenhouses to Hagrid’s hut. When she reached the end of the bridge, Luna went around the side of it until it was high enough off the ground to sit under. Neville followed and they sat nestled in the wooden support beams.

“Did you notice what time Snape arrived?” Luna asked

“Well after midnight,” Neville replied, “I checked my watch then and it was a while after that.” He took out the watch, rolled his eyes and put it back. “Says it’s not even two, I suppose the Time Turner doesn’t turn back watches.”

“That makes sense,” Luna said thoughtfully, “You’re wearing the watch, so it experiences the same time travel you do. Otherwise our clothes and bags wouldn’t go back with us.”

Neville chuckled, “That would make it difficult, having to leave stuff around for your future self, and awkward when traveling with other people.” He paused for a moment, “I wonder if-”

“-the person who invented them found out-” Luna interjected, also starting to laugh

“because the first time they traveled back their clothes didn’t go with them,” they both said between giggles, having had the same thought. For several minutes they took turns continuing this line of reasoning, struggling harder and harder to keep quiet until they were both wheezing gasping. Eventually the fit died down and they were able to speak again.

“Chocolate Frog?” Neville said, offering one from his bag and still fighting giggles.

“Thanks,” said Luna, taking it.

A gust of wind blew threw the wooden structure, causing Luna and Neville to shudder almost simultaneously.

“Ah, I’d forgotten,” Luna said, pulling two rolled-up blankets from her own bag and handing one to Neville. “They’re woven with goat hair. It makes them warmer and protects you from Sniffing Gnats.” He took the blanket gratefully, and they were soon wrapped comfortably in them, swapping snacks and stories to pass the time.

Eventually, they drifted into a comfortable silence and simply listened to the night sounds of the castle and the Forbidden Forest a few hundred yards away. Then they heard a new sound coming closer. A distinctive, regular thumping of someone walking on the wooden floor of the bridge above them. They looked at each other and nodded, then silently climbed down from their perch and packed their bags.

Snape was coming.

* * *

Luna and Neville crouched low beside the walkway, waiting for the approaching figure to go by. The sound of his footsteps grew closer and closer, then passed over them. They peered around the corner, and by the light of the stars they could just make out the outline of the robe and the long, greasy hair of Severus Snape.

Neville was standing slightly behind Luna and had to lean out farther to see. A rock under his foot shifted and he slipped, letting out a loud gasp. Luna grabbed his arm before he could fall and they both quickly ducked back under the bridge where they’d been sitting. Neither of them dared breathe as they strained to listen for Snape’s retreating footsteps, hoping he hadn’t heard Neville, but there was no sound for almost half a minute.

All of a sudden, a harsh voice from almost directly in front them said “ _Lumos!”_ and the place they had just been standing was flooded with light. They heard Snape’s footsteps now, coming around the side of the covered path to look for the source of the noise. Luna looked at Neville and pointed behind them, and they both crept silently under the bridge to the other side. They crouched by the opposite wall from Snape and looked down to see the light of his wand illuminating the underside of the bridge.

“Peeves, if you wish to be a nuisance I passed Filch in the dungeons on my way. I have neither the time nor the patience for your pestering,” Snape said derisively. He extinguished his wand and they heard his footsteps retreating down the dirt path. Neville and Luna let out a great sigh of relief, waited about twenty seconds, then followed Snape to the greenhouses.

The greenhouses were laid out in two rows of four on a flat clearing that was nested into the side of the great hill on which the castle sat. Because of this, the clearing was partially walled off on one side by a short but steep slope that reached the clearing’s level at Greenhouse One. The dirt path was at the top of this slope and ended at the front door of the greenhouse. Neville and Luna crept along the path until they were approaching the greenhouses.

“Where are you?” Luna whispered to him.

Neville looked down at Greenhouse Three and could just make out the small shed where he knew Luna was asleep.

“By the shed,” he whispered back, pointing towards it. Then he had a realization and added hurriedly “I step on a twig and Snape comes out soon, we have to move!”

Luna glanced around for a hiding spot, then indicated at the steep grassy slope beside them.

“Follow me,” she said, and promptly slid down the steep grassy hill. She landed silently and quickly hid behind Greenhouse Four, well out of sight of Past Neville. Neville hesitated a moment and followed her, suppressing a grunt when he landed and joined her. Together they crept down the length of Greenhouse Four, darted across the gap in the rows, and made their way to the far end of Greenhouse Five. The large hill sloped gently away from the edge of the greenhouses’ clearing, and Luna dropped to the ground and crawled down the side of the hill, just below the level of the clearing. Neville followed, and they were both hidden in wait for Snape to leave.

“How long until he leaves?” Luna whispered.

“Not long,” Neville replied. A moment later they heard a twig snap. The sounds of Snape searching the greenhouse halted and there was silence. Even though he knew where Snape was, Neville found himself holding his breath.

“I have had quite enough of your evening jaunts, Potter,” the duo heard Snape snarl. They could make out the figure of Past Neville darting across the gap between the rows of greenhouses. They saw him run up to the pile of bricks by the other end of the greenhouse in front of them, leap onto it and clamber to the roof, making barely a sound.

“That was very impressive, Neville!” Luna whispered, nudging him.

“Thanks,” Neville mumbled back, blushing with an odd mix of embarrassment and pride. Snape appeared at the end of Greenhouse Four and peered around for his quarry. After a moment Neville whispered urgently to Luna “He got distracted by a noise, but it’s not happened.” Luna wordlessly looked around where she was lying and spotted a pebble. She took it and tossed it over the row of greenhouses. There was a clang as it hit the metal frame of Greenhouse One. Snape lit his wand and rushed away from Past Neville’s hiding spot.

“Now _that_ was a good throw, thanks for saving me.” Neville whispered to Luna.

“Thank you and with pleasure,” Luna said, smiling and bowing with her head. They both watched as Snape searched around the greenhouses one by one but failing to spot Past Neville above him.

“If I find that you three delinquents have been here I shall see to it personally that you get detention with me for the rest of the school year.” Both of them had heard Snape say this the first time, and they knew Snape was about to leave. They waited until they could no longer hear his footsteps before stirring.

“It was between Greenhouses Three and Four, so let’s shift over so we can see them.” Luna whispered, starting to slide sideways. Both of them scooted over so they were looking between Greenhouses Five and Six, and across the gap in the rows were Four and Three, the mistletoe trap still undisturbed. Neville dug the camera out of his bag, and both of them stared expectantly, waiting for the mysterious creature to appear.

A minute passed, and Luna suddenly perked up. “I think I hear steps,” she said. Then Neville heard them too. They grew closer and louder, sounding almost like another person, but the gait was clearly a four-legged animal, not a human. Then a shape came into view between the greenhouses. In the dark they could make out that it was fairly large, about the same height as Hagrid’s dog Fang and twice as long, but it had an almost egg-shaped body, a small head, and a long tail. Its legs were short, so its whole body twisted with every step. As the creature rounded the corner and made its way to the trap, they could see a large lump at the end of the tail, twice the size of a Quaffle. Neville and Luna could only stare open-mouthed; neither of them had ever seen or heard of anything like it before. As they watched, it stopped at their carefully-laid-out mistletoe trap, and they began to hear the sound of it chewing on the tough twigs and leaves.

Luna snapped out of her astonishment and spoke in a hushed voice, “The picture!” Neville started and fumbled with the camera a moment before pointing it at the creature. He pressed the button Colin had showed him and heard a _click_ but saw nothing.

“Bloody-” he said in confused frustration. Then he remembered what Colin had said. “The flash doesn’t work!”

 _“Lumos,”_ said Luna, and the mistletoe trap was flooded with white light. The creature, startled by the sudden flash, let out a piercing shriek, turned and ran out from between the greenhouses. It saw Neville and Luna in front of it and turned to avoid them, running between the rows of the greenhouses and towards the forbidden forest. Luna quickly extinguished her wand.

“Did you get it?” she asked urgently.

“I think so. I heard it click again, but we have to get film out to see.”

“We have to avoid our past selves. Move back down the hill out of sight.”

They scooted down the slope, well out of sight from the greenhouse clearing. There was some sound of movement as Past Neville left his hiding spot on top of Greenhouse Five. Then they heard Past Luna’s voice. Their past selves had a brief discussion then headed back towards the castle. Present Neville and Present Luna waited a few minutes, then followed.

* * *

The pair snuck up to the third floor with only one close call with Filch. By wand-light they found the right corridor with the gargoyle and hastily gave the password. Soon they were standing in Dumbledore’s darkened office.

“D’you suppose he knows we’re here?” Neville asked.

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Luna said cheerfully. She went behind his desk and ducked down underneath. After a moment of fumbling she said “Ah, there it is,” and the latch of the hidden drawer clicked. Luna reappeared and took out the scrap of parchment with “1:37” written on it. She put it in the drawer and closed it.

Neville went over to the door Dumbledore had shown them and went inside. The room was smaller than the main office and was filled with even more odds and ends, but there was a pair of small cots in the corner that appeared to have fresh linens and pillows. Both he and Luna were realizing how tired they were from the stressful reliving the night and collapsed onto the beds.

“G’night Luna,” Neville mumbled.

“Night, Neville,” she mumbled back.

The duo spent the next morning exploring the various trinkets in the room. With some explanation from Luna, Neville had mostly wrapped his head around the timeline of the previous day. Eventually they heard themselves come into Dumbledore’s office and plan the expedition they had just finished. Then Dumbledore spoke loudly enough for them to hear clearly.

“Miss Lovegood, Mr. Longbottom, you may come out now.”

They stepped out of the room, and Luna returned the precious unregistered Time Turner, then Dumbledore continued.

“Now, did you get the photograph?


	6. Chapter 5

Neville and Luna watched as Dumbledore removed the photographic paper from the bowl of murky liquid. “In a moment, the photograph should begin to appear.” As he spoke, the rough shapes of the greenhouses and the creature began to appear. The shape of the creature stayed in the center of the picture for a moment, then moved out of sight as it ran off. The image became sharper and soon it was a clear image of the moments it had spent in Luna’s wand-light before fleeing.

“Well, this would seem to create more questions than it answers,” observed Dumbledore.

“It looks…kind of like a dragon?” Neville said quizzically.

“If it is, it’s not any dragon anyone’s seen before,” Luna said with fascination, “Dragons have wings, and I don’t know of one with a ball on its tail. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this…”

As they had seen when they first encountered the creature, it had short legs, a small head, a round body, and a long tail that ended in a big ball. The photograph showed that its skin was dark and scaled like a dragon. Its back and tail were lined with grey, bony bumps, ending in the large ball seemingly made of solid bone at the end of its tail. Where its small head met its neck, it had four large horns pointed outwards.

The three wizards stared at the picture, watching the creature get startled by the sudden light, turn and run out of the frame of the image several times. Dumbledore was the first to speak again.

“It’s nearly two, so by now you’ve gone back. Both of you must return to attend your afternoon classes.”

“But I’m so curious to know-” Luna began.

“I’m sure both of you are as anxious as I am to find out what exactly this creature is, but at present there is little more to be done but speculate. I will ask Hagrid at once if he has seen it in the Forbidden Forest or has any idea what it might be. Return here after supper and we will discuss it further, I will clear it with your heads of house,” Dumbledore said firmly. Luna and Neville knew better than to argue, and left the Headmaster’s office, more anxious to return to it than any other students in Hogwarts history.

* * *

Neither Luna nor Neville were able to concentrate the entire afternoon and absorbed very little of their lessons. Fortunately, they were each in their strongest subject. Luna hardly needed to concentrate as she spoke softly to Buckbeak, who Hagrid had purposefully riled up as a challenge for the third-year Care of Magical Creatures students (Luna has been allowed to enroll in the class a year early by special dispensation from Dumbledore). In a calm, soothing voice, Luna recited every species dragon she could name as she approached Buckbeak and stopped to bow. Buckbeak quieted down almost immediately, and within a minute Luna was sitting on his back. Hagrid was so impressed, he gave fifty points to Ravenclaw and dismissed the students early.

Meanwhile, Neville was also pondering the mysterious creature while absently de-fanging a Vampiric Mudroot. As soon as he finished, he pulled out his copy of the Monster Book of Monsters and paged through it, half-hoping the creature would be on some page he had missed. He looked up for a moment and noticed that not only was he the only uninjured student in the greenhouse, he was also the only one to have successfully removed every fang and had done so in record time.

After supper, Neville and Luna immediately found each other and bolted for the third-floor gargoyle. They entered Dumbledore’s office to find the Headmaster seated at his desk, as if he had not moved since they left.

“I’m afraid I have little news on our project, but Professors Hagrid and Sprout will be with us shortly,” Dumbledore said with a rueful smile.

Moments later, the spiral staircase appeared again at the entrance to the office, and Professor Sprout bustled out with Hagrid close behind. She seemed distraught and spoke quickly.

“Headmaster, the situation is getting quite dire. The creature smashed its way into Greenhouse One last night and demolished the roses, the dandelions, and the belladonna. The mandrakes were so frightened they clung to their pots to avoid being removed, and the Venomous Tentacula is practically shivering with terror. Please tell me you have found out how to remove this beast.”

“That is precisely what we are here to discuss, Pomona,” Dumbledore replied calmly. He turned to Neville and Luna. “These bright students here have managed to capture a photograph of our problematic friend, but I’m afraid we are quite at a loss to identify it. Hagrid, I mentioned this to you at supper; here’s the photograph of the creature,” he said, handing over the image.

Hagrid stared at the picture. “My my ‘eadmaster, you were right. It’s not like any dragon I seen before. But whatever it is, she’s a real beauty.”

“Have you seen anything like it in the Forbidden Forest?”

“Not that I can think of,” Hagrid said thoughtfully, “I’ve ‘eard stuff this big romping around, so I might’a come across it without knowin’… but I never seen it up close.” He put the picture back on the desk reverently.

“Merlin’s beard! Is _that_ what has been tearing up the greenhouses!? It’s only a matter of time before it eats something truly irreplaceable!” exclaimed Sprout.

“I don’t think you should be so worried,” Luna interjected calmly, “if it was really after the plants inside, it would have broken in on purpose ages ago. I bet it broke the glass wall of the greenhouse by accident and ate whatever was right inside.”

Professor Sprout seemed less than comforted by this, but Dumbledore chuckled. “I’m inclined to agree with our Magizoology expert, but I also agree that this creature’s excursions cannot be allowed to continue. The top priority is to identify it.” He looked at Neville and Luna in turn. “Have either of you had any new ideas?”

“It’s not in the Monster Book of Monsters,” both students responded at once. They paused and stared at each other, then laughed. “You go on,” said Neville with a grin.

“I also checked my other reference books,” continued Luna. “There was one mention of a creature like a reptilian Hippogriff with tiny wings once spotted in China, but that was the closest thing I could find.”

Dumbledore leaned and steepled his fingers. “Perhaps this creature is not to be found in common books. I will inform Madam Pince that both of you are to be given full access to the Restricted Section until further notice, so you will have free rein to search there for any reference to our mysterious friend.”

Luna practically glowed with excitement “ _Thank_ you, Headmaster! There’s several books on dark creatures in there we can look through!”

“I will tell her first thing after breakfast, so you may begin after your morning lessons. I’m sure Professors Hagrid and Sprout would also be eager to assist if they can. Now, both of you should return to your Common Rooms, I have some faculty matters to discuss with the professors here. Please keep me informed of anything you find.” The pair bid the adults goodnight, and each retreated to their dormitories to begin their search.


	7. Chapter 6

It had been several days now, and even Luna was growing frustrated with the lack of helpful information. They had gone through everything in the Library, even from the Restricted Section, and every edition of _The Quibbler_ going back ten years and come up with nothing.

The clock tower rang noon, which meant it was time to go to the Great Hall for lunch. Luna nudged Neville, who was napping face-down in _Ye Compleyte Encyclopoedia of Creetures_.

“Ngh?” Neville asked sleepily.

“Lunch,” Luna said, putting her own book, _Beetle’s Beetles and Beets_ , back on the shelf.

“Uh,” Neville said affirmatively, getting up to put his own volume away.

Neville slumped down next to Ron and began to serve himself mashed potatoes. Ron had been in a much better mood about Sirius Black’s attack since it had made him so popular, so he’d mostly forgiven Neville for letting a murderer slash his curtains. Ron was reading, which was in itself unusual, so Neville looked down at the magazine with curiosity.

“Hermione, why do Muggles keep snakes wrapped around big wheels?” Ron asked.

Hermione, sitting on Ron’s other side, looked over. “That’s a garden hose, not a snake, Ron. They water plants with it. The big wheel is to make it easier to coil.”

“Dammit, Hermione, you could have made up any ridiculous lie about Muggles keeping snakes and he would believe it,” Harry said, smirking.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but had to contain her own mischievous look, “I have to tell the truth sometimes, otherwise he’d get suspicious of the ludicrous stories. Learn to play the long game, Harry.”

“Is that a Muggle gardening catalog?” Neville asked.

“My dad’s become obsessed,” Ron said through a mouthful of buttered bread roll. “He’s been sending his favorites to me. Look at this.” He turned to a two-page spread of a colorful bed of rose bushes. “Why’ve they got bricks around it? Their plants don’t even try to escape.”

Neville looked around the picture curiously for a moment. Then he had a thought. He froze.

“Roses, dandelions, belladonna, mistletoe…” he muttered to himself.

“Eh?” Ron said distractedly, continuing to flip through the catalog.

“Er- nothing important, just had a thought,” he said. He poked at his food absently for the rest of the lunch hour, lost in thought and trying to contain his excitement. As soon as the students were dismissed, he dashed to the Ravenclaw table to catch Luna.

“I’ve had an idea. Library?” Neville said urgently.

Luna nodded and started to respond, but Neville was already dashing off for the library, so she bolted after him.

They arrived in the library quickly and went straight to a quiet corner, out of earshot of other students. After catching his breath, Neville began to talk excitedly.

“I think the reason it hasn’t been in any references for magical creatures is that it isn’t a magical creature! It’s a non-magical animal that wandered onto the grounds and because it’s non-magical it only goes for mundane plants like the roses and the mistletoe but leaves the others alone, maybe because they put it off or-”

“Neville, slow down!” Luna interrupted, but now she was growing excited too, and kept going “That would explain a lot of things… but wait, non-magical creatures don’t wander onto Hogwarts grounds for the same reason Muggles don’t… unless there’s something special about this particular one maybe?”

“Should we tell Dumbledore?”

“I’ll get some paper.” Luna stood and took some parchment and a quill from a nearby table. She scribbled a note and rolled it up, then stuck it in her robe.

“I told him we wanted to meet after supper again. I’ll send the note on the way to Hagrid’s.”

This jolted Neville out of his thoughts of the creature. “Oh no, I’m going to be late for Herbology. ThanksLunaseeyouthen!” he said quickly as he bolted again from the room

* * *

“Welcome, welcome, I do hope you bring good news.” Dumbledore said as Luna and Neville stepped off the spiral staircase with practiced ease.

“We think so,” Luna said. “Neville had a clever idea, and it made me wonder about the Hogwarts protections. You first, Neville.”

“Uh-” Neville stammered, his face turning red. “Um, well, Ron was looking at this Muggle gardening magazine and it had a flowerbed full of roses, and Professor Sprout had mentioned that whatever-it-is ate the roses, but I realized that everything we know of that it’s gone for has been non-magical plants, never any of the magic ones. So that makes me think that it’s not a magical creature. Then Luna thought…” he looked over at her, motioning her to continue.

“The protections around Hogwarts stop Muggles from seeing us,” Luna continued “and that also extends to non-magical creatures, at least the wild ones around the countryside. But how strong is the protection against animals, and how exactly does it work? If this is a non-magical creature, clearly it found its way through them without much trouble.”

Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles and spoke pensively. “A very interesting theory… You are, of course, correct, Miss Lovegood. The protective barriers do stop non-magical animals from entering school grounds, but this is more a side effect than an intent. The barriers are meant to elude Muggles and direct them away from Hogwarts to protect our secrecy, and as such they are very powerful indeed. Other creatures that lack magical abilities are affected and avoid Hogwarts altogether. However, the effect is generally not as strong, and some can find themselves wandering past the barrier.”

“But I’ve never seen things like deer or squirrels on the grounds.” Neville said.

Dumbledore chuckled. “Immunity to magical protections likely does not extend to Acromantula venom. The Forbidden Forest lies within the Hogwarts barrier, and I suspect most animals from outside that happen to stray into it do not reach our side of it. However, birds do seem oddly resistant to the protections and can traverse the Forest with ease, so they have no trouble being a nuisance to the messenger owls.”

“Our creature doesn’t look like a bird…” Neville observed astutely, “so it must have walked through the Forest…” He shuddered at his memories of the Forest. It was a terrifying enough place with Hagrid as protection. “It looks like it got through without a scratch.”

“…Which means that even the magical creatures in the Forest probably haven’t seen it before and are afraid of it.” Luna continued, “It must be very unusual in the Muggle world too…”

“It seems you two have a new direction to search in,” Dumbledore said, standing from his desk. “I believe there are some guides to non-magical creatures in the library, though if this creature is so rare, I fear it will not be there. For now, I suggest getting to bed. I escort you to your Common Rooms; our overzealous caretaker is particularly out of sorts today, but I will make sure he gives you no trouble.”

* * *

Neville bid Luna and Dumbledore a good night, then entered the Gryffindor Common room. He sat down in a chair in the corner and pondered the mystery creature. He took the photograph out of his pocket and watched it, lost in thought. An excited voice in his ear startled him back to reality.

“Is _that_ what Dumbledore’s having you go after?!?!” Colin Creevey said loudly enough that some students across the room shushed him.

Neville awkwardly tried to hide the photograph, but it was clearly too late. “Erm, yeah, but we still don’t know what it is, so don’t-”

“ _Whatdoyoumeanyoudontknowwhatitis!!_ ” Colin hissed, struggling not to yell.

Neville stared. “You recognize it?”

“ _Obviously_ I rec- I’ve got a book, back in a moment.”

Neville stared with confusion as Colin vanished up the stairs. Seconds later he came rushing back down with a large book and planted on the table next to Neville. He flipped to a page near the beginning and pointed.

“It looks like this, right?”


	8. Chapter 7

Luna spotted Neville sitting in the shade of a tree by the Great Lake, poring over a book with Colin Creevey. As she approached, Neville looked up and waved with a grin. She jogged the last few paces and plopped down with the pair, already studying the book.

Neville had frantically caught her up that morning with the events the night before and what Colin had told him. The creature as one of a group of non-magical animals that had been extinct for millenia, but the creature in the photo couldn’t be anything else. She peered down at the entry in Colin’s book, which looked remarkably like _The Monster Book of Monsters_ , and sounded out the boldly printed name.

“An-kee-low-saw-rus?” she said quizzically.

“An- _ky_ ­­-losaurus,” Colin corrected, “That’s definitely what this looks like to me.” He held up the picture they had taken. “Heavily armoured head and body with a club on the tail; nothing else looks like that. How big did you say it was?”

“About four feet high and ten feet long.” Luna said, not missing a beat. Neville looked at her in amazement. “I’ve watched a lot of dragon training, knowing their size is important,” she explained.

“So, it’s about half-grown at that size…” Colin said, skimming the entry, “female, based on the head shape…it eats plants. Ferns and bushes and things…”

“We got the picture by luring her with mistletoe,” Luna added, “And we know it will eat the mundane plants in Greenhouse One.”

Now Colin looked stunned and stopped reading. “Is _that_ how the hole got there?” They both nodded nonchalantly.

“She must have found the ferns growing around the greenhouses,” Neville said, “They’re almost all gone now, but there’s loads more growing all around the castle. If we want to lure her, we can use those.”

“Lure her? You’re going to try and catch a dinosaur??” Colin said in disbelief.

“Hopefully,” Luna replied, “Dumbledore asked us to stop her wandering freely on the grounds. We can’t talk to her, so the other options are to drive her away or train her somehow… I’m sure Hagrid would love to look after a rare almost-dragon.”

“We should tell Dumbledore what we’ve found,” Neville said, “He might have an idea of a way to catch her and he asked us to keep him updated.”

“Thank you so much, Colin, you’ve been a wonderful help!” Luna added.

“Oh, can I _please_ help catch it,” Colin pleaded, “Muggle children all grow up learning about dinosaurs and I desperately want to see a real live one.”

“We’re already sneaking out at night and risking detention to do this,” Neville said apologetically, “and we don’t even have a plan of how to catch her yet.”

Colin sighed resignedly, “I know… But I want to be first in line to see her up close when you catch her.”

“Promise,” assured Luna, “And we’ll take your picture with her first thing.”

At this, Colin brightened. They all stood to head back to the castle. “Oh, you should take this,” Colin added, handing Luna the dinosaur book, “in case there’s anything else important there. The page is bookmarked.”

At that, the trio returned to the castle. Neville and Luna headed straight for the third floor to go to Dumbledore’s office.

Dumbledore listened attentively as Luna and Neville traded off recounting what they had learned. When they finished, he finally spoke.  
  
“Well, I confess I had not expected this to be such an extraordinary discovery! I would award both of you a hundred house points, but that would raise questions about what exactly you were doing, and I think it best to keep that a secret until the creature is captured.” At this, his eyes gained a startlingly mischievous twinkle, and he continued, “Next time Slytherin get close to winning the House Cup I’ll have some in reserve, eh?”

Neville and Luna could not help but laugh, as much out of surprise at the Headmaster as at the jest itself. “Now,” Dumbledore started again, “do you have a plan to capture this, er- dinosaur?”

“We had some ideas on the way here, but nothing definite,” Luna replied, “We know we can lure her with food, and I think we should try to catch and train her somehow to be safe around people. Like Buckbeak.”

“Agreed, though Buckbeak has caused his own share of trouble this year…” Dumbledore said with a sigh, “The Ministry is pressuring to have him executed as a ‘dangerous beast’ because he attacked young Draco Malfoy.”

“What?!” Luna interjected, “They can’t-”

Dumbledore put up a hand to stop her, “Not to worry,” he said quickly, “Your little venture with the Time Turner gave me an idea to help Buckbeak, and I’m sure Miss Granger will be just as eager to carry it out. Returning to the point, how do you intend to restrain the creature once lured out?”

Luna looked thoughtful, assuaged by his assurance of Buckbeak’s safety. “Unicorns are captured using a very large rabbit snare…if we set it up between some big trees in the Forbidden Forest…”

Neville paled at this, preferring almost anything to returning to the Forbidden Forest. “Wait, a snare. Devil’s Snare!” he said suddenly. Dumbledore and Luna both looked at him, and he continued. “Professor Sprout has Devil’s Snare, right? Harry told me about how he, Ron, and Hermione fell into it first year. A small Devil’s Snare plant would be strong enough to hold the dinosaur but not big enough to hurt her, and we can plant it anywhere on the grounds.”

“And because it’s also a plant,” Luna continued, following his train of thought, “it would be an easy Illusion spell to make it look like part of a big pile of fern leaves…”

They turned to Dumbledore, who leaned back to consider the plan. “Obviously it is up to Professor Sprout whether she will allow students to handle a dangerous magical plant, but it seems you have a plan of action. If you have need of anything else do not hesitate to call on me. Good evening!”


	9. Chapter 8

It took a fortnight to prepare, but it felt like an eternity for Luna and Neville, both now very eager to capture the ankylosaurus, who they had started referring to as just “the anky”. Professor Sprout, who was perhaps the most anxious of anyone to have the dinosaur under control and her plants safe, agreed with only mild convincing to lend the pair a small cutting of Devil’s Snare. In this case, “small” was still over a foot taller than either of the students and wider than both standing shoulder-to-shoulder. It stood in an enormous pot which they wheeled partway down the hill from the greenhouses, about halfway between them and Hagrid’s hut (Sprout had warned them to keep it well out of reach of the nearby Womping Willow, as they had been known to spar in the past and the matches could become quite violent). It quickly rooted in the ground so firmly it could’ve held back an elephant, and they had collected enough ferns from around the castle to feed several. Luna practiced making larger and larger plants blend into the pile of ferns, while Neville practiced keeping the Devil’s Snare under control.

As had become almost customary, they checked in with Dumbledore to go over the plan after supper. There were several large boulders about a dozen yards away from the trap where they could watch it without being easily seen and wait for the dinosaur to appear. Once the ankylosaurus was trapped, they would be able to sedate her. Dumbledore had provided a powerful sleeping potion in what looked like a perfume bottle for this purpose, which would keep the creature asleep until the antidote was administered.

The pair had made themselves comfortable in the little grove of rocks, from which they had a view of the trap and the surrounding hillside. Unless the anky walked right through the rocks – unlikely, since she could barely squeeze through – she would not be able to see them. The sun had set and the Moon, glowing brightly through the clouds, had risen high in the sky.

“… and if it’s not trained, they have several people stand around the dragon to corral it into the enclosure.” Luna and Neville had been trading stories to pass the time, and it was currently Luna’s turn. By now, both of them could have passed the O.W.L. in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures without studying a word. “Then how do you go about training-” Neville started to ask, then froze as he saw something almost as strange as an extinct flightless dragon. Luna followed his gaze, and they both stared in confusion.

Seemingly coming out from under the Womping Willow were seven people. One of them was apparently floating above the ground and three of the others were chained together. The group slowly started to make their way up the path to the castle. In the moonlight, Neville started to recognize them. A chill went down his spine when he realized Snape was the one floating along like a ghost. Professor Lupin was chained to a man he didn’t recognize and… Ron? Harry and Hermione followed with another man who looked familiar, but Neville couldn’t place him at such a distance.

“What in Merli-” Neville started to say.

“ _Shhh!”_ Luna hissed. Neville looked at her and saw she was no longer watching the group coming from the Womping Willow, but staring intently past the trap.

Neither of them had seen her except briefly the one much darker night, and in the photograph they had been staring at for weeks. Now, out in the open in much brighter light, she was breathtaking to behold. Ten feet long from nose to tail and wide enough for both of them to sit side-by-side on her back; her shiny scales were broken up by the pattern of her bony armor. She was cautiously approaching the enormous pile of leaves from the direction of the Forbidden Forest. As they watched, she ambled up the hillside, then walked a wide circle around the leaves, sniffed at them, and came in closer to walk another smaller circle. Then she seemed to stop and raise her head as if she’d heard something. For a few moments she stood frozen, then seemed to relax and turned back towards the leaves. She began to eat at the edge of the ferns, slowly inching closer to the disguised Devil’s Snare.

Before she’d taken two bites, there was a sound of footsteps approaching rapidly from behind Luna and Neville. Not human footsteps, but something on four legs galloping. Before they could turn to look, a giant creature they would only later realize was a werewolf tore past the rocks where they sat and almost crashed into the anky as it made for the Forbidden Forest, snarling as it went. The anky let out a bellow of surprise and fear, something between the roar of a lion and the trumpeting of an elephant. She turned in the opposite direction of the werewolf and started to run as quickly as her short legs could carry her.

Luna was quick to respond; she bolted out from the grove of rocks and stood in the way of the dinosaur, pulling out her wand to stun her if needed. The frightened creature reared up, turned around, and found Neville standing behind her, having caught on to Luna’s plan. The anky bolted away from both of them, making to go past the trap and into the woods rather than towards the castle. But her short legs were no match for the students’, and Luna could easily outpace her to stay in front of her, blocking the way to the Forest. Neville jogged behind her, and together they were able to keep her from escaping into the woods. They corralled the anky in nearly a full circle around the trap, but Luna knew they couldn’t keep it up for long. The two students were now standing with the dinosaur between them, Luna blocking its way to the Forest again and Neville keeping it from going towards the path to the castle. The pile of leaves, several yards away, blocked the anky’s right side. Luna thought quickly and pointed her wand the ground immediately to the anky’s left.

“ _Bombarda!”_ Luna cried, and the ground just next to the dinosaur’s foot exploded. The now-panicked creature leaped almost completely into the air and bolted towards the trap, intending to smash straight through it. Instead, she ran head-on into the Devil’s Snare. The force of the impact was enough to partly tear the Snare out of the ground, but it held on and coiled more and more tightly around the egg-shaped body. The ankylosaurus trumpeted with fear and struggled against the plant’s grasp, but was not strong enough to break the thick vines.

“And that…” Luna panted, “is why…they use five people…to round up dragons…”

They chuckled through heaving breaths and watched the struggling ankylosaurus.

“I feel bad for her,” Luna said, “do you have Dumbledore’s potion?”

Neville reached into his pocket and pulled out the small spray bottle. “How are you going to get close enough?” he asked, handing the bottle to Luna. Though the anky was held firmly by the Devil’s Snare, her long clubbed tail was partially free and thrashing back and forth.

“Stand further back, and stay as still as possible,” Luna said as she knelt in front of the creature. As Neville obliged, Luna started to speak in a calm, steady voice.

“Hungarian Horntail, Norwegian Ridgeback, Hebridean Black…” the list of dragons went on and on, beyond any species Neville had heard of. Eventually she ran out of dragons, and without missing a beat starting listing other magical creatures at random. “Erumpent, billywig, kneazle, thestral…” As she spoke, she inched forward towards the dinosaur, staying low to the ground and keeping her voice steady and gentle. The ankylosaurus struggled less violently, now breathing heavily with exhaustion. Closer and closer Luna budged, and the anky fought less and less. She reached out to touch her on the nose, the spray bottle ready in her other hand. The anky’s head jerked slightly away from her hand, then she settled down and allowed Luna to pet her. Still talking, but now it was practically gibberish, Luna knelt down in front of the dinosaur, careful to stay away from the plant, and gently stroked her forehead. As the anky relaxed, the Devil’s Snare released its grip. The dinosaur was lying on the ground now, and Luna slowly took out the perfume bottle and sprayed it at her nose. Her eyes closed and her head dropped to the ground.

Neville had watched the whole thing with increasing astonishment. Luna looked up at him and mouthed silently “Get Hagrid.” Neville nodded and headed down the slope to Hagrid’s hut. He and Hagrid returned shortly, with Hagrid pulling a very large wagon. With some struggling, he hoisted the creature onto the wagon, and the three returned to the hut.

* * *

Neville, Luna and Hagrid sat by his fire, with the anky knocked out on the floor of the hut. Fang growled at the newcomer at first, but seemed to decide she wasn’t a threat. They told him the story of catching her, but it was at the mention of seeing the group coming out of the Womping Willow that he stopped them.

“Dumbledore said those three ‘ad a plan tonight. After Buckbeak vanished, he explained that Hermione and Harry’d saved him, but couldn’t tell me ‘ow.” He looked down at the unconscious dinosaur affectionately. “Then ‘e said you two’d be needin’ some help with this lass. What’d you say she was again?”

“An ankylosaurs,” Luna replied, “They’re supposed to be extinct.”

“You two have a name for her?”

“Not really, we’ve called her ‘anky’ for short but we thought you’d like to name her.”

At this, the dinosaur made a noise that was probably a cough, but sounded like a car horn mixed with the bark of a very large dog. It came out as a sort of _bork_.

“Sounds like she’s named ‘erself,” Hagrid said, chuckling. “Bork it is!”

“So you can keep her here at Hogwarts?” Luna asked hopefully.

“Aye, I got some places in the Forest she can romp around. And what with the dragons next-” he stopped abruptly, realizing he’d said too much.

“ _Dragons?_ ” Luna asked, now glowing with excitement, “Why? When? What kind of dragons?”

“I shouldn’a said that.” Hagrid said sheepishly. “Yeh didn’t hear it from me. You’ll see next term. Now both of you need to rest. I got blankets here, best yeh not go back to the castle this time o’ night. It was risky enough lettin’ yeh run around to catch Bork. Dumbledore will want to see yeh in his office in the morning.” He didn’t let either of them argue, and before long they were as deeply asleep as Bork.


	10. Chapter 9

“Last night certainly was eventful…” Dumbledore said, once Luna and Neville had recounted the tale of the previous night. “And you say the werewolf didn’t react as it stumbled across you? Perhaps Remus is more in control than I thought…” he trailed off absently.

“Remus? That was Lupin?!” Neville blurted out in horrified amazement.

“I’m sure both of you will hear the story soon enough.” Dumbledore replied wearily, but not unkindly. “Yes, the werewolf you encountered was indeed Professor Lupin, and the other fellow you mentioned was likely Sirius Black. Who is quite innocent of what he accused, as I’m sure Harry will tell you. Now, back to the matter at hand. Is the dinosaur awake?”

“We woke her this morning,” Luna replied. “She was scared at first and smashed one of Hagrid’s chairs, but that just made him like her more, and now she’s perfectly friendly. It’s like she’s been around people before.”

“Is that how you knew how to calm it down?” asked Neville.

Luna grinned, “No, that was just Care of Magical Creature training. Hagrid told me once that Buckbeak calms down if you talk to him gently as you approach. The words don’t really have to mean anything, but if the tone is quiet and calm he settles down much more easily. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try it on Bork.” She looked back at Dumbledore, “Oh, right, her name is Bork now.”

Dumbledore could not help but chuckle at this. “Hagrid’s doing, no doubt.” Both students nodded. “Both of you have done exceptionally. When I first heard of this mystery creature roaming the grounds I was not expecting such an extraordinary discovery. Professor Flitwick will be most impressed to hear of your advanced Charms work,” he said to Luna, “and Professor Sprout will be glad to know that her best student handled a dangerous magical plant for such a resourceful use.” He looked over at Neville and spoke in a tone of mock seriousness, his eyes twinkling, “Professor McGonagall, however, will not be pleased to hear that she has yet another adventurous Gryffindor to look after. And I…” as he spoke, he took two parcels out of his desk, “have something for each of you.”

They opened the packages with eager curiosity. Luna pulled out what looked like an ornately designed pair of binoculars, and Neville a set of pruning shears.

“The shears are enchanted,” Dumbledore continued, “with a very powerful set of charms. Not only will they dull thorns from cut branches to reduce injury, but any plant trimmed with those shears will grow to be healthier and more vibrant than any other. And those,” he turned to Luna and the binoculars, “will not only allow you to see better than the most sharp-eyed hawk, but will identify the animal they are pointed at instantly and trace its path, so you can follow it with ease. In case you should ever come across that Crumple-Horned Snorkack…”

Luna and Neville were speechless. They stared at their gifts, then at each other, then at Dumbledore.

“ _Thank_ you, sir…” Neville said in awe. They looked back at each other, grins widening across their faces. “And can we… can we visit Bork?” Luna asked hopefully.

“Of course!” Dumbledore said cheerfully, “I will discuss with Hagrid to arrange for her to stay, especially now that Buckbeak is a fugitive with Mr. Black… But never mind that, all of us should be at the End of Year Feast soon. I fear that other events last night may already be the talk of the school, but there’s no longer any reason to keep your adventure a secret. I’m sure Mr. Creevey will be eager to hear of it.” He nodded to Neville as he said this. “Now, off you go, I will be along shortly.” With that, Luna and Neville left the office and descended on the spiral staircase behind the gargoyle.

“Hagrid’s afterward?” Luna asked.

“Hagrid’s afterward,” agreed Neville.

And the two set off for the Great Hall to join the feast.


	11. Epilogue

Edward poked his head in Dr. Wright’s door. “Please give me good news,” she said, though with little hope in her voice.

Edward shook his head. “Sorry doctor, the police just stopped by, said they were going to call off the search. All the reports were either pranks or neighborhood cats. If Alice is out there, they can’t find her.”

Amanda Wright sighed. “Thanks, Ed. See you tomorrow.” He nodded and closed the door.

Almost thirty years, billions of pounds, and many, many, many cups of coffee had gone into Alice. Amanda had gotten her doctorate on the theoretical work alone, and it took years and hundreds of attempts before they’d gotten a viable embryo, then another thousand before the ethics board had cleared them to let one develop. The first successful cloning of a dinosaur from fossilized and reconstructed DNA would have made news headlines, history books, and gotten her entire team the Nobel… and all it took was a power outage for it to escape.

She put her head in her hands with resignation. With a _lot_ of explanations, inquiries, and convincing, she might be able to get funding to try it again, but it would be another five years. Another two after that for the embryo to develop as far as Alice had.

As she drove down the quaint-looking country lane away from the secluded research facility, she hoped Alice was still alive, and that she’d at least found a good home.


End file.
